Bruises and Bitemarks
by Ninjasaurus
Summary: His mother kicked him out, his Charmander hates him, and the perverted jokester Brody makes him uncomfortable in more than one way. Oh yeah, being a Pokémon trainer is just glorious. OC Slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Kicked Out**

He heard her coming. The sound was unmistakable; the thunderous pounding climbing up the staircase, each step getting louder and louder as she drew near. He tried to keep his eyes shut and feign unconsciousness, but it was no use. Once she reached his bedroom door, she kicked it open with all her might. Standing in the doorframe was a vicious creature, her eyes burning with a fire so intense he could feel the burn of her glare. His weary, half lidded gray eyes stared back at her, void of any emotion. In a dangerously low tone, she growled, "Get out of bed."

He stared, and then closed his eyes and pulled the blanket over his head. With four mighty steps, she was across the room and towering above him. She ripped the sheets off of him with a powerful yank and let them drop to the floor. The boy glared up at her monstrous face. She then reached down and grabbed his ankles. Realizing the impending doom that awaited him, he started to struggle in her grip and tried desperately to kick her away. Her hold held strong, and she dragged the boy out of bed. His body hit the hardwood floor with a heavy _thud. _He rolled over onto his back and glared daggers at the woman above him.

"Good, you're up," she said in a sickly sweet voice and smiled. "Get dressed and meet me downstairs in ten minutes." She turned on her heel and exited his room.

He watched her retreating form until it was out of sight before he pulled himself to his feet. He let out a sigh and grabbed a random pair of jeans, pulling them over his boxers and zipping them up. He found a white T-shirt and threw that on as well. As he was tying his shoes, a thought struck him. Pushing himself off the bed, he walked over to the window and placed a hand on the glass. _Right, _he thought, walking back to his closet. _Jacket._ He grabbed a black jacket with a white outline and trudged down the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Get the hell outta my house!"<p>

"But I wanna live with you! I wasn't even gonna live in a dorm when I go to college!"

His mother dragged him back down the stairs. He tried perilously to grip on to the railing, but she tugged harder and his hands lost their hold on the wood. She pushed him towards the door. He kept his feet firmly on the floor, but she still managed to push him out the front door. He turned around to offer one last plea, but she simply stated, "And don't come back until you got me some money." She slammed the door in his face.

He attempted to burn the house down with his mind, but soon gave up when his head began to throb. Thrusting his hands deep in his pockets, he walked away. The direction he was headed was a place he rightly avoided for all fourteen years of his life. He couldn't understand why every kid in his small hometown was so excited to turn ten; to him it only meant leaving his only home to go on a ridiculous quest with no food or shelter. But to everyone else, it was an opportunity for adventure, a journey like no other. He scoffed at the idea and kicked a large rock with the toe of his shoe.

"Adventure my ass," he muttered under his breath. A feeling of dread washed over him as he stopped and stood in front of a large white building. He kept his eyes to the ground as he hesitantly took a step inside.

A young woman with straight blond hair sat behind the front desk, her dark brown eyes intently focused on the screen of her computer, her long fingers furiously typing away. She didn't look up when he stood in front of the desk. He awkwardly cleared his throat to get her attention. Her muddy eyes glanced up momentarily, then returned to the computer.

"Name," she said in an obnoxious nasally voice.

"Coby Dallas," he mumbled, his eyes fixated on his worn shoes.

The rhythmic typing echoed in his ears as she typed in his name. The sound paused and she asked for his age.

"Fourteen."

She skillfully typed it in and clicked a few things with the mouse. Her eyes scanned through whatever it was that was on the screen. "Alright, Coby, just have a seat and the professor will call you in shortly."

Coby nodded once and sat in an empty seat. Silently, he let his eyes roam around the room. There were a few other kids, two boys and a girl, all of them sitting with their mothers with wide grins plastered on their innocent faces. Of course they were all younger than him; he was probably the only kid there who wasn't ten. He was also the only one there who wasn't excited. The other kids were nearly bouncing in their chairs, happily talking about the adventure they were about to begin and all the friends they would make. The girl looked up admiringly at her mother and said cheerfully, "I'm gonna catch all the grass types, Mommy!" She giggled to herself and swung her legs back and forth, humming an unidentifiable tune.

He leaned back in his seat and stared up at the ceiling. A door leading to the back of the building opened and a figure stepped out. A deep man's voice called out, "Coby Dallas?" Coby closed his eyes and waited. The man called his name again. When he was about to repeat the name for a third time, Coby opened his eyes and stood up. The man's eyes landed on him and he smiled. "This way, Mr. Dallas."

Coby followed the middle-aged man silently down a long corridor. He eyed him from behind. He was wearing khaki dress pants and a long white lab coat. He had one hand placed casually in one of its pockets, the other swinging at his side. He was a tall man and his hair was a light gray. A pair of glasses hung around his neck on a golden chain. He stopped in front of a door and opened it, stepping inside a moment later. Coby took a breath before entering the room himself.

The room was small and plain. There was only a desk with a computer and a roller chair on one wall and on the opposite wall sat a metal table. On the table's surface sat three small balls, the top halves red and the bottoms white. The fluorescent lights reflected on the shiny surface of each individual ball, and as he stepped closer Coby could see his own reflection on the smooth rounded surface. The old man sat in the roller chair and flipped through the pages on the clipboard.

"So Coby," he started, placing his glasses on the bridge of his nose, "how old are you?"

Coby nervously wiped his palms on his jeans. "I'm fourteen," he answered quietly. His eyes landed on the nametag on the man's lab coat. _Oak, _it read.

He peeked up at Coby over the rim of his glasses, then he wrote something down on the paper. "Fourteen, huh?" he mumbled, then pulled off his glasses. He smiled. "I'm sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Professor Oak. Some call me the Pokémon Professor," he gave him a small grin, "but you could probably figure that out on your own. You know," the professor pushed himself out of the chair. "Most kids come here to get their first Pokémon when they turn ten, but you somehow escaped this place for four years. I do worry about children that young going out on their own, but with a boy your age it doesn't seem so dangerous. So, have any idea which type you are interested in?"

Coby shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the three balls. "I don't really care what I get. Can I just randomly choose one?" he asked, inclining his head towards the table.

The professor nodded. "Of course," he said.

The pounding of his heart echoed in his ears as he stepped up to the table. His palms began to sweat again and he breathed through his mouth. Each ball sat proudly on the table, holding inside a certain creature that waited to be let out into the world. What lay inside of each ball was a mystery. Coby absently tried to list the starters in his head, but their names eluded his memory. He could feel the professor's eyes on him, waiting patiently for him to choose his comrade for the journey he was about to embark on. He heaved a large sigh and reached out, curling his hand around the ball on the far right. It was slightly heavy in his hand and warm to the touch. After examining it for a couple of seconds, he turned around and faced the professor.

"Ah, so you chose Charmander, the fire type," Oak noted, a small smile on his face. It soon fell, however, and he gave Coby a stern stare. "I must warn you though, Coby. Charmander can be quite unstable at times. There have been many cases where clients have complained that their Charmander was out of control. They tend to be stubborn and independent, and training them takes time, effort, and patience. Do you think you are capable of raising that Charmander you hold in your hands?"

Coby's eyes fell on the sphere in his hand. How hard could it be? Besides, fire types kicked ass, right? He looked back up at the professor and shrugged. "Sure, whatever," he said nonchalantly. The professor nodded and had him sign a couple of papers before he left. Just as Coby was about to exit the room, Oak called out to him.

"Take these with you. They'll come in handy." The Pokémon Professor dropped five small balls similar to the larger one he had chosen in his opened palm.

Outside the lab, Coby stared perplexed at the red and white ball. He silently cursed himself for not asking how to get the damn thing out of the ball. He tried shaking it, dropping it, commanding the creature inside to come out, and even going low enough to try the old 'open sesame' trick. Nothing worked, and he was far past frustrated. Only five minutes passed when he gave up and leaned against the side of the building, sliding down until he sat on the ground.

"Fuckin' ball," he grumbled, rolling the ball around in his hand. His gray eyes landed on the small button in the middle of the ball. He furrowed his brow and rested his thumb over it. Could it really be so simple? His thumb pressed the small button.

A beam of red light shot out of the ball. Something heavy landed on his face and he let out a yelp of shock. The ball fell from his hands and he pried the thing off of his face. There was a soft _thud_ on the grass in front of him and he looked to see what had shot out of the ball.

The small orange lizard sat on its rear end, holding its head in its front paws. Its eyes were tightly shut, as if it were in pain. A long tail wrapped around its small body, an active flame on the tip. It let out a small 'char' and cracked open one blue eye. Coby and the creature known as Charmander stared at each other for a long moment, taking in the other's profile. After a few long moments of silence, Coby tentatively reached out his hand towards the little lizard. It glared at him and gave a soft warning growl. Coby quickly retracted his hand and held it protectively against his chest. His eyes traveled over the small Charmander's features and landed on the lit flame. Wondering if it was really fire, he reached out his hand again. His palm was only a few inches away when he felt the heat of the fire hit his skin, and at the same time the Charmander lashed out and scratched the back of his hand. Coby jerked back immediately and swore.

"Fuck! Jesus, you little shit, what the hell?" he exclaimed, clutching his hand in pain. A thin layer of blood quickly filled the three scratch marks and he looked at the small Pokémon in horror. It was grinning smugly at him. Coby narrowed his eyes. "Listen here, fucktard, I'm your fucking master, so be a good little lizard and get back in your ball," he ordered, holding out the ball towards the Charmander.

It glared up at him again and turned its head in defiance. Coby gritted his teeth and shoved the ball in its face. It smacked the ball out of his hand and raised its claws in the air, ready to strike. They stared each other down for a long while before Coby let out a frustrated sigh and stood up, mumbling an agitated 'fine' as he pushed himself off the ground. The Charmander dropped its arm but kept a suspicious eye on him. Coby took a few steps away and bent down to pick up the discarded Pokéball. He would get the Devil's spawn inside of it one day.

* * *

><p>"I guess I should give you a name, dick squeezer."<p>

The Charmander grunted in response, crawling on all four legs beside him. They were walking down the long path to the next town: Viridian City. The damn reptile still refused to return inside its ball and continued to disobey Coby, completely disregarding the fact that he was now his master. Coby's hand was still slightly bleeding; he didn't have any first aid supplies and couldn't really get it wrapped up anywhere but Viridian City. He once again gave the Charmander a heated glare.

"Actually, I think that's a great name for you. Dick Squeezer. You like that?" he said, giving him a mocking smirk.

He gave Coby a warning glare. They continued walking in silence, sticking to the dirt path ahead of them. Coby examined the wound on the back of his hand; he had wiped away the blood, but more had filled the gap of flesh. His hand stung and was bright red around the three scratches and he held it tentatively away from his body, avoiding brushing it against his clothes. In his other hand he still gripped the vacant ball, swinging it at his side.

"That's a nasty cut you got there."

Coby and the unnamed Charmander whirled around at the voice. There was a tall boy leaning against a nearby tree, his arms crossed across his chest. He had a mess of sandy blonde hair and bright, golden eyes that gleamed mischievously. A small smirk sat on his lips and his eyes were focused on Coby. He wore a red and white plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the curve of his elbows. The first two buttons were undone and the top of his shirt was pulled apart, opening up to reveal a cotton white tee underneath. A black necklace hung around his neck with a silver ring dangling from it. There was a black beaded bracelet on his right wrist. Five of the beads were white with black letters on them, but the boy was too far away for Coby to read them. To his right stood a small blue turtle with a dark brown shell and a squirrel-like tail. It too wore the same smirk the boy above it did.

Coby noticed the Charmander by his side grow tense. His blue eyes were narrowed in a fiery glare at the turtle and his body was coiled as if he were ready to charge. Coby felt a little uneasy by the way the Charmander reacted to the other Pokémon. He obviously hated him and Coby was more than worried that he wouldn't be able to control the little lizard if he attacked the turtle. Hoping that he could trust the Charmander to refrain from pouncing, he turned his gray eyes back to the boy in skinny jeans. "What?"

The boy nodded towards his hand. "Your hand. It's pretty banged up, you know?" the boy repeated, returning his golden eyes to Coby's. "What'd you do to it?"

Coby instinctively glared down at the hell lizard. "The little fucker attacked me," he muttered darkly.

The boy frowned and pushed himself off the tree. "You got anything to wrap it up?" When Coby replied 'no', the boy took a step forward. "Well I got some bandages if you want me to wrap it up for you," he offered, a friendly smile on his face.

When the blue turtle followed his trainer and took a step forward as well, a menacing growl ripped through the orange lizard. They both stopped in their tracks, the turtle eyeing the Charmander warily. The boy, however, didn't look away from Coby. Coby glanced down at the Charmander and frowned.

"Um," he said, "could you keep your turtle thing away? It's making him kinda aggressive."

He chuckled softly and turned his gaze to the opposing Pokémon. "Oh, they're all right. They're rivals, you know. Squirtle is a water type and Charmander is a fire type, so it's only natural for him to be a bit on the cautious side," he explained.

Coby still wasn't convinced. "I just don't want him mauling your tur – erm, Squirtle," he replied, becoming nervous at the way his Charmander shifted in position.

The boy laughed again and Coby glared at him. "You're new at this, aren't you? Your Charmander won't attack, I promise. Pokémon have this instinct to attack only when it's necessary, like if they are in battle or protecting something. He's just uncomfortable. Now, about that hand," he said, him and the Squirtle taking another step towards them.

The Charmander growled again, but true to the boy's word, he didn't attack. Instead, he took a step back, trying to put some distance between him and the water turtle. The boy was standing in front of Coby now, his fingers curling around his wrist. Coby's eyes landed on the bracelet. _BRODY _was spelled out in capital letters. He couldn't help but blurt out, "What the hell kind of name is Brody?"

The boy pulled out a roll of bandages, a smile on his face. "It's my name," he replied, wrapping the white bandage around Coby's hand. His golden eyes flicked up to Coby's. "What about you?" he asked.

Coby frowned. "I don't see how that's any of your business," he said stubbornly, pulling his hand away when it was properly wrapped.

"Well, you already know my name. It's a fair trade, yeah?" Brody replied, a smirk spreading across his lips. Coby remained silent.

"Fine. Lets have a battle. If you win, I'll leave you alone, but if I win you gotta tell me your name."

"No."

Brody grinned deviously. "I wasn't asking." Without breaking eye contact, Brody commanded in an authoritative voice, "Ivan, tackle."

Obeying the command, the Squirtle named Ivan dropped down on all fours and charged at the Charmander, colliding into him and knocking him back a few meters. Coby's eyes widened as he watched his Charmander slide to a stop. The small lizard pushed himself back up, its blue eyes forming two tiny slits. He gritted his teeth and crouched down low to the ground, ready to pounce. A second later he was barreling towards Ivan at full speed. The Squirtle braced himself and right before impact, he leapt out of the way. The Charmander turned around and let out a ferocious growl, standing up on his hind legs. Ivan fell back down to the ground and charged again. The small lizard stood his ground and waited, his claws extended and ready to strike. Brody's Squirtle was approaching fast, his brown eyes locked on to Coby's Charmander, whose eyes were locked on him as well. When it looked as if the Squirtle was going to tackle the Charmander a second time, the orange reptile pulled its claw back and forcefully lashed out. Ivan let out a loud 'squirtle!' and fell back, clutching the left side of its face in pain. Charmander smirked and dropped down on all fours, running towards the injured turtle. Sensing the charging opponent, Ivan snapped his eyes open and held out his arms. Their hands slammed into the other's and they both shoved for dominance.

Coby watched in awe as the two Pokémon fought. The Squirtle had maneuvered his body to one side and shoved the Charmander with his shoulder. The Charmander retaliated by pouncing on the turtle, bringing them both down to the ground. To his side Brody stood calmly, his arms casually folded across his chest. He too was watching the battle, his eyes intent and focused as the two creatures attacked the other. There was however a small frown cast over his mouth, his lips pressed into a firm line. His eyes glanced over at Coby, a questioning look on his face. Coby frowned as well. "What?" he asked indignantly.

Brody shook his head and returned his attention to the fight. "Your Charmander, he didn't even wait for your approval to fight back. He's gotta have your OK before he can attack," he explained, a perplexed expression on his face. He turned back to Coby and asked, "How long have you had him?"

He shrugged and began watching the quarrel again. "Dunno, I got him around nine this morning."

Brody gaped at him. "Jesus, you've only had him for forty minutes?" Coby nodded and Brody looked away. "Well," he mumbled, "that explains the torn up hand."

Coby said nothing. The Charmander had landed a few good scratches on the Squirtle, but now Ivan pushed him off of him and tackled him again. The Charmander let out a low grunt and landed on his back. He rolled over and pushed himself on to his feet. Coby noticed that he was panting and looked pretty banged up; there were a few bruises forming on his body and a couple scrapes from sliding on the rocky ground. He tried to stand up but the Squirtle ran full force into him, knocking him back down. Coby gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. This was starting to look bad, and Charmander didn't look like he could hold out any longer. Ivan collided into him again, this time head butting the lizard in the stomach. He was sent flying back, his body slamming into the trunk of a tree. A trickle of blood slid out of the corner of his mouth and he gazed up at the Squirtle with half lidded eyes. Ivan had his own fair share of bumps and bruises, and there were three long gashes running down the left side of his face, blood seeping out of them. The Charmander weakly pushed himself off the ground and took a step forward. He raised his arm high above his head and brought it down sharply. Ivan caught his arm and flung him to the ground harshly. This time he didn't get back up.

"Enough!" Coby shouted and bolted forward. He shoved past the Squirtle and dropped down to his knees, a shaking hand hovering over the Charmander's limp body. A soft growl rumbled through his throat and Coby sighed in relief. He heard footsteps coming up behind him and he turned around to look up at Brody. He tossed a spray bottle down to him. Coby caught it and stared at it dumbfounded.

"Spray him, it'll heal some of his wounds, but only a little. You should head straight to a Poké Center when you reach Viridian City and get him healed up." Brody paused for a second, then added, "And no more battles until you've trained with him a bit, 'kay?" He pulled out a Pokeball and a red beam of light shot out and engulfed the Squirtle, bringing it back inside. Brody stood there for a few more moments, then turned to walk away.

"Coby."

Brody stopped and twisted his head around. "What?"

"My name's Coby," he repeated, avoiding eye contact.

Brody was silent for a couple of seconds, then he grinned and let out a low chuckle. "And you asked what kind of a name Brody was." Then he walked away.

Coby sat next to his Charmander for a moment, still and silent. He stared down into its blue eyes and aimed the squirt bottle at him. The nozzle sprayed an odd smelling mist that rained down over the injured Charmander. He winced as it fell inside his various cuts, but didn't make any noise as his wounds slowly closed back up and his bruises faded slightly. After a moment of letting the potion do its work, the Charmander pushed himself up in a sitting position.

Coby stood up and took a few steps away from him. The Charmander watched him curiously. He didn't say anything for a couple of seconds, only stood with his back to his Pokémon. Then he threw the empty bottle as hard as he could and screamed. Profanities spewed from his lips and he paced back and forth madly. He turned his wild glare onto the Charmander and thrust the Pokéball in his face, demanding crossly, "Return!" The lizard glared right back and smacked his hand away. Furious, Coby screamed, "Stubborn piece of fuck!" and threw the ball far off into the woods. Everything became quiet then. Coby's hands were clenched tightly into fists, his fingernails leaving crescent shaped cuts in his palms. His breathing was heavy and his face had grown bright red from the anger he felt inside.

The Charmander looked at him quizzically before getting up and dashing into the woods. Coby watched him disappear behind some bushes and leaned against a nearby tree, dropping to the ground. He heaved a large sigh and closed his eyes, calming himself. It was obvious he was pissed for losing, and even more so that the Pokémon he had chosen wouldn't even listen to a damn thing he said. He hoped he never had to see that damn Brody character again; he wasn't sure if he could handle the embarrassment of bumping into him. There was a rustling sound and Coby opened his eyes. The Charmander came crawling out of the bushes, his Pokéball held between his tiny hands. There was a sullen look on his face as he trudged forward until he was standing next to Coby. He didn't make eye contact when he held out his hands and waited for Coby to take the ball. When he did, the Charmander plopped down by his side, the bitter expression never leaving his face. Coby gazed down at him inquisitive; it looked as if he was mad at himself for losing, too. The small lizard reached up and pressed the tiny button in the middle of the ball and in a beam of red light was transported back inside. Coby stared at the ball for a long time, feeling the familiar weight and warmth of the now occupied Pokeball.

"Damien," he simply stated.

Inside the ball came an approving 'char'.


	2. Chapter 2

**Total BAMF**

It was warm out, a soft breeze drifting by. The sky was bright blue and a few puffy white clouds were scattered about, one occasionally drifting in front of the sun, shading the world below before it floated on its way.

Coby lay on his back, arms folded behind his head. His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the peaceful day. His jacket was flung carelessly to the side; it was too hot to wear. Another breeze rolled by and he inhaled deeply, breathing in the fresh air. The bandage on his hand was long gone, the cuts closed up and only leaving three light pink scars behind. A Pidgey flew by overhead, hollering its unique call as it passed, but other than that it was quiet.

He cracked open an eye when he heard rustling coming from the tall grass a couple feet away. A few seconds later, Damien emerged from the tall blades of grass and stalked over. There was crimson blood smeared across his face and there was some caked on his claws. He reached Coby's side and grabbed the towel on the ground, rubbing the blood off his face with it. Coby watched silently.

"How goes the training?" he asked, eyeing the white towel slowly becoming stained red. Damien gave him a muffled 'char' and pulled the towel off his face, wiping his hands clean next. Coby smirked and commented, "You know, you're a badass mother fucker, Damien."

Damien grinned up at him and tossed the towel back down to the ground before dashing off into the grass again. Coby chuckled and closed his eyes. They had reached Viridian City two days ago and Coby had convinced a woman to let him and Damien stay for a couple of nights. Ever since they had been training nonstop from noon to sunset, both trainer and Pokémon determined to be ready when they had a real battle (more specifically, when they bumped into Brody and Ivan again). It was hard work though; there wasn't much but Pidgey and Rattata in the area and they were easily taken care of, not leaving much for a real fight. Coby was getting restless and he could tell Damien was becoming bored. They needed to move on soon and begin the long journey through Viridian Forest. And although Coby didn't much care for the whole Pokémon master thing, he knew that Damien couldn't go through this whole thing on his own; Coby needed to catch some more Pokémon and build a team. Coby opened his eyes and frowned, gazing up at the sky in thought. But which were the best? He couldn't risk catching some pansy ass Pokémon; he needed the ones that kicked some major ass and made people piss their pants in complete terror. So far, he only had one. His gray eyes landed on the discarded towel and he grimaced. Damien was slightly intimidating. Although they had come to a mutual understanding of each other, they still had several differences and engaged in little tiffs every now and again. Coby shook his head and sat up, scanning the grass around him. The next Pokémon he ran in to would be the one he would catch. The grass behind him began to move and Coby turned around with a ball in his hand, ready to catch something.

The rustling continued for several long seconds before a small purple rat emerged from the tall blades. It took a few steps forward, its nose and whiskers twitching. Its large black eyes landed on Coby and it froze. Coby dropped his arm, an irritated expression on his face. _That's it? _he thought.

"No," he muttered under his breath. The rat continued to stare at him, unmoving. "Fuck no," Coby restated, raising his voice an octave. "What the hell am I supposed to do with a fuckin' mouse? Jesus, go back to your damn clubhouse and eat a piece of cheese."

When the rat didn't move, Coby tried to wave it off. It pulled back its lips, revealing a pair of large buck teeth, and it snapped at him. Coby retracted his hand and glared at the purple rodent. It let out a high pitched squeak and lunged at him, landing on his leg and hanging on. He swore and smacked it off of him. The rat hit the ground and rolled back onto its feet. It squeaked again and leaped a second time. Coby braced himself for the oncoming rodent when something bounced off his head. A second later, a flash of orange collided in the air with the purple rat, sending them both to the ground. Coby watched as the Charmander shoved the other Pokémon on its back. He pulled back his arm, his claws shining under the sun, and he quickly brought it down. His claws ripped through the thin flesh of the rat's ear, tearing a long, jagged gash. The rat yelped and squirmed under Damien before rolling away and dashing back into the grass.

Coby swiped up his jacket angrily. "Let's get some lunch," he said, walking back to town.

* * *

><p>"I hope that damn rat gets jumped by a gang of rogue Pidgey," Coby grumbled, taking a large bite out of his sandwich.<p>

Damien nodded in agreement, biting into his own sandwich. They both currently sat in Miss Dixson's kitchen, the woman Coby had convinced to let them stay a few nights. She was a very motherly person, treating the both of them as her own two sons. Definitely better than the woman that was Coby's real mother.

He took another bite out of the sandwich she had made for him. Rattata was off the list of possible badass Pokemon. Coby sighed and leaned back in his chair, setting down his sandwich. Damien looked at him quizzically but continued to munch on his lunch. The only Pokémon they have run into were Rattata and Pidgey, and they were becoming useless to Damien; he needed a better challenge, and Coby needed to be exposed to more types of Pokémon. He didn't want to, but the time for them to move on had come. It was time to enter the forest.

Coby reached out to grab his sandwich but his hand landed on an empty plate. He eyed it, disconcerted, and raised his gray eyes to stare at his Charmander. The orange lizard held in his tiny hands a sandwich that was not his own, his mouth wide open, caught in the act of taking a bite. His dark blue eyes stared back, challenging Coby to snatch it back. They both stared the other down for a long moment, both remaining still and waiting for the other to make the first move. Coby tensed his body and leaned forward, coming to a standstill when Damien brought the sandwich closer to his mouth. He noticed the slight upward curve in the corner of the reptile's mouth and realized that he was enjoying this. Coby narrowed his eyes and after a moment's hesitation, pushed himself across the table and made a swiping motion with his hand. His fingers were only inches from the white bread when Damien shoved the entire sandwich in his mouth, swallowing his prize and grinning triumphantly up at his trainer. Coby tried to glare at him, but he couldn't hold back the smile forming on his face and he sat back and laughed.

"Did I mention that you're a badass mother fucker?" he said between chuckles. He laughed again when Damien leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. They sat in the kitchen for a few more minutes before Coby got up. "Alright," he started. "We better get goin'. We'll go to the Poké Center real quick and then I gotta get some stuff from the market. After that, we'll head off to the forest." Damien nodded and replied with a 'char' and hopped off his chair. Coby wrote a short note for Miss Dixson and left it on the kitchen table before exiting the house for good.

* * *

><p>Coby zipped up the small black backpack he bought at the market and slipped his arms through the straps. They approached a large building leading into the forest and he opened the door for Damien and walked in himself, his eyes scanning over the few people littered about, lounging on the chairs. One girl smiled at him and Damien as they walked by. Damien waited for Coby to open the door leading to Viridian Forest, then trotted outside ahead of him. He tilted his head back and gazed up at the sky. Coby looked up as well, but couldn't see much past the tall, overgrown trees.<p>

Only a few rays of sunlight broke through the wall of leaves, not nearly enough to brighten the large forest. There were trees everywhere, each one large and right next to the other. There were random patches of tall grass all around, different types of Pokémon lurking in the still blades. Coby's eyes landed on a boy a few feet in front of him, his back facing him.

"Hey, kid," he called out to the boy. He turned around, his large round eyes focusing on Coby. A friendly smile spread across his face and he jogged over to him.

"Hi! I'm – "

"Dunno, don't care." Coby gazed down at the ten year old boy. "There anything good in this forest?" he asked, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.

The boy's smile grew even wider. "Golly, there's a whole bunch! A great deal of Caterpie and Weedle roam through here, and I hear they evolve into some real powerful bug Pokémon, and you can even catch their second evolution forms if you wanna skip the first form! Personally I think Weedle is the best of the two 'cause it's got this horn on its head that it uses to poison its opponents, and Caterpie can only tackle. But some people say that poison sting doesn't really cause much damage and that Caterpie is the better bug Pokémon, but I like to think differently. Oh and – "

"Yeah yeah, kid, thanks," Coby interrupted, brushing past the kid. Damien followed and trotted alongside Coby.

The boy turned around, calling out, "Wait!"

Coby stopped and glanced over his shoulder. Noticing the pause, the young boy caught up with him and continued, "There's one more Pokémon in the forest. It's pretty rare to find, though."

This piqued Coby's interest and he raised his brow. "Oh?" he inquired.

The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Mhm! It's an electric type and can only be found deep in the forest. It may take hours or even days to find one, and I heard that the females are even more rare to catch," he explained, talking in a low voice as if he were trading a secret.

Damien had stopped as well and was listening intently. He gazed up at Coby skeptically. Coby's gray eyes remained fixated on the boy, void of any emotion except for a small spark of interest. He turned his body so he was completely facing the kid and looked him square in the eye. "What's it called?" he asked, curious.

"Pikachu," the boy replied.

Coby eyed the boy a moment longer, then turned and began walking off into the tall grass. His mission was to catch all the badass Pokémon, but rare Pokémon were just as good. He and Damien made their way into the tall grass and began the long search for Pikachu. Damien soon left Coby's side and ran off to train, slashing the bugs in the forest to pieces. Coby himself searched the patches of grass for the elusive electric type, ignoring the several caterpillar and worm Pokémon and kicking over the cocoon Pokémon he came across. He searched through bushes, looked behind trees, and even glanced up into the high branches, all the while avoiding the lone kids loitering by the large patches of grass.

"My God," Coby breathed, leaning on a nearby tree. "Where the hell is the little fucker?" He sighed.

There was a small rustling in the tree above him and Coby looked up. The rustling stopped and nothing moved. He shrugged and let his eyes roam around the grass around him. It was oddly quiet; there were no voices or calls or wind. He closed his eyes, but opened them again when a thought occurred to him. How was he going to find Damien? They didn't pick a place to meet up and neither one of them stayed in one spot. He frowned, and the rustling started again. A second later, a small green caterpillar dropped down and was hanging in front of Coby's face, only a few inches away. Coby jumped and tried to back up, but only pressed his back harder against the rough bark of the tree behind him. He froze and stared at the swinging creature wide eyed. After his brain registered what hung in his face was simply a Caterpie, he sighed and scowled at the bug. It didn't move, however, and continued to stare at him with its large, round eyes. Coby's eyes traveled up the upside down body of the Caterpie and spotted a thick string of silk holding the caterpillar to a low hanging tree branch above them. He grabbed hold of the thread and yanked it off of the tree. The defenseless Caterpie was now in the hands of Coby, and he wasn't planning to do any good to the poor creature. Coby took a few steps forward and swung his arm back. With all his might he threw the Caterpie far off into the trees, grunting, "Fuck off!" as a farewell. The flying green bug grew smaller and smaller as it soared through the air and finally began its decent into the treetops and disappeared. Coby watched until he could no longer see the caterpillar and shoved his hands deep in his pockets, trudging out of the tall grass.

* * *

><p>In a secluded area of the forest, a single yellow mouse-like creature dashed through the tall blades of grass. She ran as fast as she could, weaving through bushes and trees and leaping over fallen tree branches and large rocks. She came to a stop at one point, panting heavily, and searched frantically for any sign of the swarm that was chasing her. Her little paws ached and she wanted nothing more than to just lie down and rest, but she refrained from doing so. Her long, pointed ears were erect and alert, listening intently. Her right ear twitched as she heard a rustle in the grass and she took off again, darting through the overgrown vegetation. Her tiny heart pounded in her chest and she breathed heavily. Fear spread through the small Pokémon's body when the far off cries of Weedle echoed in her ears. She sped up slightly, her legs moving at a high speed.<p>

A yellow worm with a large horn on its head fell from a tree in front of her and she skidded to a halt. She turned to run in the opposite direction but froze on the spot when she came face to face with the horde of Weedle that had been chasing her throughout the large forest. The timid Pikachu dropped her ears and took a step back, putting some distance between them all, keeping note of the opposing Weedle behind her. Becoming defensive, the Pikachu began to charge the electricity contained in the red pouches on her cheeks. Small sparks were visible on her cheeks and she shut her eyes tightly, feeling the electricity flow out from her.

_"CHUUUU!" _she cried out, her loud screech echoing throughout the forest. A large wave of electricity shot out of the red pockets on her cheeks, getting sent into the bodies of several Weedle. Most of the worms were fried and fell to the ground and the rest all looked on in shock. Taking advantage of the opportunity in front of her, the Pikachu took off, resuming the endless chase.

One of the surviving Weedle collided into her side, knocking her off balance. The electric mouse lay on her stomach and gazed up at the gang of poisonous worm Pokémon in horror. After a moment's pause, one of the Weedle darted forward, pointing the needle atop its head at her, poison secreting off of it. The small Pikachu shut her eyes and covered her head with her tiny hands, waiting for the painful injection. Her dark brown eyes snapped open, however, when she heard a ferocious growl. A second later an orange lizard leapt forward, slicing the Weedle in half with his razor sharp claws. The two halves of the worm fell to the ground with a soft _thud_ and the lizard glared at the rest of the Pokémon, daring them to attack. The Pikachu stared in awe as the fire lizard slashed and beat the remaining Weedle until those left standing fled. The Charmander panted slightly and turned to face the yellow mouse. He dropped down on all fours and brought his face real close to the Pikachu's, his dark blue eyes focused and scanning her body. Tiny sparks grew visible on her cheeks and she felt her face grow slightly warm. She could feel the lizard's breath on her face and she stared, dazed, into his eyes. The Charmander before her leaned in closer and began smelling her fur, searching for any injuries while also identifying her. She discretely did the same, stopping immediately when he sat up abruptly. He stared at her for a long moment, then gave a curt nod and uttered a simple 'char' before walking away.

She watched him crawl off, her mind still not running at the correct speed. "Pi… Pika!" she called, getting up and running towards him. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, stopping the Pikachu in her tracks. She quickly looked away and shyly peeked up at him. He was still staring at her, a strange, questioning look on his face. He began walking again, and she followed a few paces behind him. He stopped again and stared at her.

"Shit, did you do that?"

Both Pokémon swiveled their heads at the voice. Coby stood to their right, his gray eyes locked on the massacre of worm Pokémon. He looked at Damien, who nodded, but then stared at the yellow mouse in confusion. She stared at him as well, taking in his profile. She eyed the dirty shoes and backpack, and glanced at Damien. It clicked in her mind who Coby was and she looked back up at him. She smiled brightly at him. "Chu!" she greeted.

Coby stared at her for several long, silent moments. "No fucking way," he mumbled under his breath, taking a step closer. "Damien, you found a Pikachu!" he exclaimed, lunging forward and grabbing the startled Charmander, hugging him tightly. The lizard squirmed in his arms and freed on of his hands, dragging his claws sharply across his cheek. Coby swore and dropped his Pokémon, but grinned nonetheless. "Damien, did I mention that you're a badass mother fucker?" The Charmander smirked and the Pikachu watched them both with a confused expression on her face.

"Alright," Coby said, reaching in a side pouch in his backpack and pulling out a spare Pokéball. The Pikachu's eyes landed on it and she immediately took a step back. Coby noticed the uneasiness she showed and he frowned. A glint caught his eye and he looked down. Around the Pikachu's neck sat a silver chain, a silver heart pendant hanging from it. Confusion hit him and he knelt down, returning the ball inside his backpack. He reached out his hand invitingly and the female electric type hesitantly took a step forward. When she was close enough, Coby picked up the dangling heart and examined it. There was an engraving on it that read: _Yvette._ He felt his heart sink. "Oh, you already belong to someone," he said dejectedly. He stood up and looked around. "So uh, where's your trainer, Yvette?" he asked, staring down at her.

Her ears dropped and she looked down dismally. Noticing the depressed expression on her face, Coby coughed nervously and looked away. "Uh… Where was the last place you saw them?" he asked, shifting his position awkwardly. The Pikachu perked up and glanced around, scanning the area around her.

"Pika…," she mumbled thoughtfully. She then pointed in a direction behind them, declaring a confirming, "Pikapi!"

Both Damien and Coby followed her pointing finger. "Well," Coby started, glancing back down at the Pikachu, "we're headed that way, so why don't you stick with us until you find your trainer, okay?"

Yvette smiled again. "Chu!"

"Great, so um, yeah," Coby said. He looked over at Damien and scowled. "Let's get the hell outta here. I'm tired of all these fucking bugs."


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so about a week ago I went to the best fast food restaurant ever, Chick-fil-a, and sitting at the table next to me was this little boy who was no older than like five or six, and his mom kept calling him Brody! So having to share this discovery with someone, I quickly texted my friend Lollipopsickle and told her that there was a little boy sitting next to me whose name was Brody. I then told her that he actually looked like Coby, and she replied, "It's their love child!" and I was all like, "Squee!" and was fangirling and such. I should have gotten his autograph...**

**Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damn Kids<span>**

Getting out of the forest was harder than Coby had originally thought. There was no certain path, the trees formed a sort of maze, and there was nowhere to go but through the tall grass. And waiting in those tall blades of green vegetation were several kids loitering about, itching for a fight. The thought of running into any one of them sent shivers down Coby's spine.

It was unbearably hot and somehow sticky in the forest and there was a thin layer of sweat coating Coby's skin. Being a couch potato, his legs began to ache as they continued walking through the forest's maze. His gray eyes glanced down to his side and he noted the little lizard seemed slightly overheated as well, his mouth open a bit as he panted. However, the tiny electric mouse to his left seemed perfectly content trotting beside him. There was a smile on her face and a bounce in her step and she just looked so happy with life.

Damn upbeat Pikachu...

Coby's legs stopped moving him forward and he bent over, resting his hands on his knees and breathing heavily. "Jesus," he breathed, squinting up at the sky. "How the hell is it so fucking hot? There's no sun!"

Damien and Yvette stopped as well and turned to stare at him. Coby dropped down in a sitting position and leaned back on his hands, his head tilting upward and his eyes closing. Yvette stared at him quizzically and heard a large _thwump _next to her. She turned and noticed the Charmander had flopped down on his stomach gratefully, his own dark blue eyes closing and a sigh of relief wafting past his lips. The timid Pikachu gazed at the two boys in front of her curiously before glancing around them. They were still pretty deep in the forest, but the electric type recognized the area nonetheless. She raised a hand to her mouth thoughtfully and squinted at the trees that surrounded them.

"Pi-pika," she commanded, crossing her arms at the boys on the ground. They both glanced at her for a second, then resumed lazing about. A sigh, and the yellow mouse crawled forward and leapt on to Coby's chest. He yelped out in surprise and fell back. When his back collided harshly with the dirt floor below, he glared up at the hitchhiker. Her brown eyes had a desperate shine to them and she pulled on his jacket. "Pi. Ka. _Chu!" _she cried, tugging harder with each syllable.

Coby sighed and sat up, sending Yvette tumbling down his chest and landing in his lap. He gazed down at the yellow Pokémon in annoyance. "Unless you have a giant swimming pool, or at least a bottle of water, I expect you to leave me be for the next twenty minutes," Coby said dryly, poking her in the forehead pointedly.

Yvette glared up at him and Coby noticed the tiny sparks emanating from the small red pouches in her cheeks. His eyes widened and she grinned deviously.

Damien's eyes opened as a bright flash nearly blinded him. Coby's strangled screams echoed in his ears and he turned his head to see a smug looking Yvette and a very fried Coby lying on the ground next to her. Slowly, Damien pushed himself off the ground and sauntered over to the two of them. He stood beside Yvette and stared at Coby's form for a long while. Yvette glanced up at him shyly. His dark eyes swiveled to meet hers and she felt her face grow warm. A sly grin slowly spread across his lips and he reached out a fist, lightly tapping her under the chin. He turned and dropped down on all fours, crawling away in the direction they were originally headed. A rush of giddiness filled the electric Pokémon's body and she smiled to herself and covered her burning face with her hands. She darted off after him, not giving a second glance at Coby.

A groan pushed its way out of his throat as Coby slowly regained consciousness. He sat up stiffly and groaned again as his body screamed in protest. There was an odd, shaky sensation he felt throughout his entire body and he had a vague feeling of nausea. He felt slightly dizzy and he placed a hand on his head. His fingertips came into contact with his hair, which felt like a spiked mess. He quickly patted it down and pushed himself to his feet where he stood unsteadily and tried to shake off the feeling of paralysis. His clouded gray eyes scanned his surroundings lazily, his mind still a jumble. When he finally regained his bearings, his two Pokémon companions were out of sight. Foul curses and swears spilled from his lips as he jogged forward in hopes of catching up with the traitorous creatures.

* * *

><p>"Alright, here's the plan: We're gonna walk by looking as inconspicuous as possible, 'kay? Damien." The little lizard stared back at him intently. "Try not to go all ape shit on anyone, got it?" Damien nodded in understanding. Coby turned his gaze on the female Pikachu. "Yvette." She gazed up at him expectantly. He stared back at her a moment longer before ordering, "Try not to look so Goddamn happy." Coby gave the kid ahead of them one last apprehensive glance before he shoved his hands deep in his pockets, slouched over, and hung his head as he slowly made his way past the young trainer.<p>

"Hey!"

"Fuck," Coby muttered under his breath and quickened his pace. He passed the kid and was trying to get out of sight, but the boy was hot on his heels.

"Wait up!" he called, jogging to catch up with his retreating form.

Coby sighed in frustration and said, "Beat it, kid."

The ten-year-old scowled and continued chasing after him. "No way, you gotta battle me," he said indignantly.

Coby scoffed. "Who says?"

"It's the rules," the boy explained. "When two trainers' eyes meet, they have to battle."

"Bullshit, I didn't even look at you!" Coby exclaimed, glaring down at the boy. He grinned triumphantly.

"You just did! Now we _have _to battle each other!" he shouted excitedly. When Coby made no indication of stopping, the young boy cut him off and planted himself firmly in front of him. "Battle me!" he demanded, his voice nearly a high pitched scream that rang in Coby's ears.

The glare that Coby gave to the kid in front of him could have set him ablaze that very second. "No, now get lost," he growled, brushing past him.

Realizing a potential fight was slipping away from him, the eager ten-year-old shouted, "If you beat me you get all my money!"

Although Coby desperately wanted nothing more than to continue walking away, he couldn't bring himself to pass up an opportunity to win some fairly earned money. He swore under his breath and begrudgingly turned around. The boy grinned conceitedly as Coby dragged himself back over to stand in front of the boy. He pulled out a Pokéball and pressed the small white button in the center, sending out a beam of red light. Much to his dismay, what stood between the two boys was in fact another bug. Coby glared daggers at the insect and nodded his head toward it, signaling his fire type to step forward. Damien crawled forward and came face to face with a small, green Caterpie, its large black eyes giving Damien a clear view of his reflection. Neither Pokémon attacked, though; being loyal to their trainers, they remained motionless until the word was given to strike.

"Let me get this straight. You pay me cold, hard cash if I kill your little bug?" Coby asked, seeming quite calm and confident in his Pokémon.

The boy shook his head slowly and chuckled softly. "No, I'll pay you if you beat all _four_ of my bug Pokémon," he corrected him.

Coby shrugged. "Good. I'm runnin' a little low on dough anyway." His gray eyes remained on the kid's brown eyes when he inclined his head towards the Caterpie and ordered, "Kill it."

Without missing a beat, Damien sprung forward and sliced the defenseless bug in half before the young trainer could even utter a command. The naïve boy stared in shock at the two halves of his green caterpillar. Coby and Damien both smirked and waited patiently for the next opponent to step forward. Eventually the boy frowned and returned the defeated bug to its container and brought out another ball. This time, what came out was a slightly larger green cocoon. As soon as the creature was out, the boy yelled 'harden!'. A glossy shine covered the cocoon-like Pokémon and it uttered a monotonous 'metapod'.

Damien glanced up at Coby, and he replied, "Tear it to shreds."

Damien's claw raised and slashed the underside of the bug, leaving three large gashes in the tightly wound silk, but other than that the creature seemed unharmed. A befuddled expression crossed over the orange reptile's face and he repeated the same move. Once again there was no serious effect. Coby frowned as well.

"Harden," the boy muttered softly, folding his arms. The same glossy appearance covered the cocoon Pokémon and it uttered its name a second time in that emotionless tone. "Your little lizard can scratch all he wants, but it's no match for the steel body of Metapod. Your Charmander is just going to wear himself out before my Metapod is even close to fainting."

Damien scowled and dropped down on all fours, crawling up to the Metapod. He eyed the Pokémon for a long moment, searching for any weaknesses. Finding none, Damien huffed in annoyance and circled his opponent. He stood up and slashed the bug type from behind, hoping it would inflict more damage. The boy commanded his Pokémon to harden and the small Charmander growled in frustration. After several more failed attempts at scratching the tightly wound silk, Damien stood in front of the bug, completely dumbfounded as to how he could beat it. The bug Pokémon's trainer had a cocky smirk on his face as he watched the scene before him. Damien bowed his front low to the ground and raised his lower body, a soft, rumbling growl bubbling in his chest. His eyes shut tightly and he opened his mouth wide, a small bit of black smoke puffing out of his lungs. There was a small flicker of light in the back of his throat, and a second later, a large string of fire shot out of his mouth. As soon as the flames touched the silk of the cocoon, the entire Pokémon was set ablaze, its whole body engulfed in roaring flames. Damien took a few steps back and admired his work like a true pyro and Coby stared in slight shock. The boy did as well.

A terrible screeching noise came from the burning bug, but it simply sat there until it fell to its side in a clump of blackened silk. The boy retracted his toasted Pokémon and hesitated. His eyes flicked over to the yellow mouse standing beside Coby.

"Hey, why don't you switch out your Pokémon," he suggested, rolling his next ball around in his palm.

Coby grinned. "Why don't you send out your next fighter and I'll consider switching mine," he countered, crossing his arms.

He scowled at Coby and sent out a second cocoon-like Pokémon, only this one was yellow and seemed slightly more intimidating than the one before. Its black eyes were slanted, giving the creature an angered expression. Damien seemed rather calm, however, and sat patiently, waiting for an order. Coby smiled and said, "Damien, roast it."

Damien opened his mouth a second time and spat out another thread of flames. As the fire engulfed the helpless body of the boy's Pokémon, the young trainer shouted out, "Kakuna, no!" The bug known as Kakuna eventually fell to the ground, toasted black and steaming. The boy returned his fainted bug type and frowned, his last Pokéball sitting in his hand. Without a word, he sent it out.

Yvette froze and immediately clung to Coby's leg, gripping his jeans tightly in her tiny fists. Coby gazed down at her in confusion, his gray eyes flickering over to the last bug Pokémon. The worm-like bug stood in front of them, its yellow body curling around itself. There was a large horn on its forehead, shining in the small bit of sunlight. Coby frowned.

_A Weedle, _he thought. His eyes landed on the cowering Pikachu. _She's scared of a fucking Weedle?_

"Hey, let go," he demanded, shaking her off of his leg. She stumbled forward and fell, landing on her stomach. Her brown eyes landed on the bug and she shivered, gazing up pathetically at her temporary trainer. He only glared down at her. "Go on, get up there and fight."

Yvette shook her head and clung to his leg again, only to be flung off a second time. "I said fight," Coby repeated, glowering down at her. "Damien, help me out here."

The Charmander grabbed hold of Yvette and pulled her forward. When she was standing in front of the Weedle, Damien stepped back and left to stand beside Coby. Yvette trembled and glanced back nervously, her ears lying flat against her head. "Pika..." she mumbled softly, fear spreading throughout her entire body.

"Alright, Weedle," the boy spoke, "use poison sting!"

The Weedle charged forward, pointing the large horn on its head at Yvette. She squealed and darted off, running in zigzag lines, trying to get away from the attacking bug. It chased her around for a couple minutes until it stopped and watched the frightened Pikachu climb up Coby's body and cling to his face in complete terror.

"I really hate you right now," he muttered bitterly, prying the electric mouse off his face. He grabbed her lightning bolt tail and held her upside-down in front of him. "Listen, girly, if you can electrocute the shit outta me, I'm sure you can shock that little fucker over there," Coby growled, dropping the timid Pikachu. She landed on her four feet and stared at the worm. It began to run towards her again. Yvette held on to what Coby told her and stood her ground, charging the electric sparks in her cheeks. When the bug was merely a foot away, she shut her eyes and let the electricity flow out of her.

"_CHUU!_" she cried, releasing the energy stored in her cheeks. The Weedle screeched as the electric current hit it, shocking the bug until it fell over, fried. A stunned silence fell upon them all and Yvette peeked at what happened. The boy in front of them had his mouth open wide, as well as his eyes, in complete shock. She glanced behind her and saw Coby had the same expression on his face. Damien, for having already seen this happen before, smiled approvingly at her. Yvette grinned and sat up, crawling over to Coby. He regained his composure and grinned down at her.

"Fuck yeah! I won, now give me my money," he demanded impatiently.

The boy stared flabbergasted at his fainted Pokémon, then glared at Coby's outstretched hand. He grumbled bitterly as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Coby had a smug smirk glued to his face when the boy handed him fifteen dollars. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He turned to walk away when the boy called out to him.

"I'm not letting you off so easy," he said, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. "I want a rematch. Here's my number. Call me sometime and I'll be right here. And you better meet me back here, got it?" The boy quickly scribbled down his number and tore the sheet of paper off the pad. He handed the paper to Coby, a hint of determination in his eyes.

Coby took the boy's number silently and stalked off, Damien and Yvette trailing behind him. Very faintly, he could hear the boy call out, "Don't forget to call me!" Without a second thought, Coby crumpled the paper and dropped it on the ground.

"Yvette, are we close to the exit yet?" he asked, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.

The small Pikachu gazed around at their surroundings. "Pi-Pikachu," she said, nodding her head.

Coby gave a curt nod as well. "Good. Now we just gotta avoid the rest of those – "

"Hey! I just caught a whole bunch of Pokémon. Let me show you them in battle!"

"Fuck," Coby grumbled as he spotted a boy jogging towards them.

Damn kids...


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, so I'm aware that this is _way _overdue. I've been busy with some stuff, and suffered from a serious case of writer's block, but mainly just laziness. Originally, this was going to be a longer chapter, but I figured it was long enough and it's been way too long since I last updated, so I decided to break this chapter into like two or three chapters. So I'm sorry for the late update, and I hope my readers are still interested in reading.**

* * *

><p><strong>A bit of bad luck<strong>

"What...the...fuck."

There was a high urge to find that damn kid and let Damien loose on his sorry ass. How dare he force him inside this damn museum? And for fifty bucks? This was so not worth it. Coby glanced down to his right and noticed the same bored expression on Damien's face. His gray eyes scanned the room for the electric type, but she was nowhere to be found. He frowned.

"Damien," he voiced, earning his fire type's attention. "Go find Yvette. I wanna get the hell outta here, _now_." Damien nodded and left his side in search for the missing Pikachu. Coby sighed and found a nearby bench to rest on. He plopped himself down on it and leaned back, letting his head fall back and his eyes close. His hands sat inside the pockets of his black jacket, and he felt his fingers brush against something small and cold. He gripped it in his hand and ran his thumb over its smooth surface, realizing it was Damien's neglected Pokéball. Coby rolled it around between his fingers absently as he waited for his Pokémon companions to return.

"Woah, you okay?"

Coby opened his eyes only to find an all too familiar face only inches away from his. Concern sparkled in those golden eyes and he pressed his forehead against Coby's. A deep blush burned Coby's face and he shoved the boy off of him, scooting as far back as he could to get away from the blonde. He chuckled and sat down on the bench beside him, a crooked grin settled on his face.

"Well you don't have a fever, so that's good," he examined, resting his arms on the back of the bench.

Coby pressed himself firmly against the hard wooden arm of the bench, sure that it was leaving a mark on his skin. What the hell was he doing here? And what was with that little stunt he just pulled? Brody continued to stare at him with that same crooked grin on his face, seeming quite amused by Coby's reaction. After he calmed his thumping heart and relaxed a bit, Coby glared at the boy next to him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, not even attempting to conceal the irritation in his voice.

Brody shrugged. "The same reason you are. Wasted fifty bucks 'cause some kid claimed it was 'worth it'." He eyed Coby curiously. "Where's your Charmander?"

Coby frowned. "Why does it matter?" he retorted, crossing his arms.

Brody's grin faltered a bit. "Just wonderin'."

He glared at Brody for a few moments before turning away and replying, "Damien went to find Yvette."

"Who's Yvette?" he asked, raising a brow at Coby.

"My Pikachu."

At that moment, he spied Damien crawling back towards him, Yvette trailing behind him. Relief filled him; now they could leave and get as far away from Brody as possible. Damien glanced up at Brody once he reached the two boys and frowned. His dark blue eyes quickly scanned the floor around them, his body tense. Yvette noticed his sudden behavior and stared at Brody, confused. She shrugged it off and jumped into Coby's lap, stretching out comfortably. Coby frowned down at her and picked her up by her lightning bolt tail, dropping her back onto the tile floor.

"Yvette, huh," Brody mumbled, leaning down and picking up the small Pikachu, plopping her in his lap and scratching behind her ears. Yvette sighed in content, leaning back and slumping against his stomach. Brody's fingers brushed against the tiny chain around her neck and held the small pendant between his thumb and index finger. "You caught her?" he asked doubtfully.

The disbelieving tone in his voice irritated Coby further. "You think I didn't?" he asked defensively, crossing his arms.

Brody shrugged. "Never said you didn't," he responded, glancing up at Coby. "Yvette just isn't a name I would think you would have came up with. And," Brody twirled the heart pendant in his hand, "this necklace seems a little girly, yeah?"

Coby's frown deepened. "She actually belongs to someone else, but she got separated from her trainer, so she's stickin' with us until we run into them. But don't think I can't catch my own Pikachu, 'cause I can."

Brody laughed softly. "So how long you stayin' in Pewter City?" he asked casually.

"Not sure. Couple days, maybe." Coby sighed and shifted positions so he was comfortable. "I gotta try to convince someone to let me stay at their place until I'm gone before tonight." He glanced over at Brody, about to ask him the same question, but scowled at him when he noticed the look Brody was giving him. "What?" he asked indignantly.

"You do know that they have rooms for traveling trainers at Poké Centers, don't you?"

A frown settled over Coby's face and he furrowed his brow. "What?"

Brody stared at him incredulously for a few minutes. "You didn't know that?" he asked, shocked. After a few more moments of staring at him, a small smirk curved his lips and a soft chuckle bubbled out of him. "Oh man," he said between laughs, his shoulders shaking. "How did you not know that?"

Coby scowled at him, crossing his arms and saying, "I fail to see the humor in this."

Eventually his laughing died down and he grinned at Coby, his eyes still shining with laughter. "You really thought they would let innocent ten-year-olds sleep out in the woods?"

Coby ignored the question and asked, "Is it free?"

He nodded, but a frown cast over his face. "Well, yes and no. If you have a trainer I.D., then it's free, but if you don't it's about seventy-five a night. They let it slide in Viridian for beginners, but here it costs some green," he explained.

Coby sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was silent for several moments, and then he spoke. "Where do you get an I.D.?"

The blonde shook his head. "It's not that simple," he started to explain. "You have to have the Boulder Badge, which you get after you defeat Brock. Then you gotta go to the nearest market and fill out some informational papers, pay a small fee, and then you'll get your I.D."

An aggravated sigh left Coby's lips. Why did it have to be so damn difficult? He's a minor, shouldn't they have a special deal or something? He just didn't have that kind of money. But he could. The thought caught him off guard. There have been signs and billboards advertising it, and it was the main purpose these kids started collecting Pokémon. Gym leaders were strong, meaning if he beat them, Damien would become stronger. Not to mention the pay. The whole battling business paid pretty good money, and Coby could only imagine the big bucks he'd get battling gym leaders. He glanced down at Damien, who had eased up slightly since Ivan was nowhere in sight, and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. That little orange lizard sure knew how to kick some ass; winning would be a piece of cake. Besides, after he'd won enough times, he could finally go back home and resume his lifestyle of sleeping in until three in the afternoon. It was decided, then. Coby would take the Pokémon League Challenge.

Coby was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the question that was directed towards him. He looked over at Brody. "What?"

"I said," Brody restated, "how old are you?"

Coby frowned. "Why do you need to know?" he shot back indignantly.

His shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug. "Just wonderin'. You don't really look like a ten-year-old."

"'S 'cause I'm not," Coby replied. After a minute, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm fourteen."

Brody's golden eyes roamed over Coby's form. "Good," he sighed, leaning back and giving Coby a sly smirk. "Now I won't feel like a pedo when I do inappropriate things to you."

Coby gaped at him in shock, scooting further away from him and pressing his back against the armrest again. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Coby was definitely uncomfortable around this boy, and now he felt that getting the hell outta there was the best decision at the moment. Before he could leap off the bench and bolt out of the museum, Brody chuckled and shook his head.

"God, Coby, lighten up. I'm just kidding," he assured. "If you don't got a place to stay tonight, you can bunk with me," he suggested.

Coby glared at him. "Fuck no," he growled. "I'd rather sleep on the dirt floor in the middle of the woods."

"You sure? You could get jumped by a flock of wild, ferocious Spearow or something."

The glare on Coby's face turned into a scowl. "I'll take my chances," he grumbled, pushing himself off the wooden bench. "Yvette," he called. The small Pikachu's ears perked up and she jumped off of Brody's lap, falling in step beside Damien as they trailed behind Coby. He pushed his way through the mass of people, trying to reach the front doors. Brody's voice drifted into his ears, but he ignored him and stepped outside, allowing himself to briefly enjoy the fact that he was no longer inside the hellish museum. He froze, however, when Brody called out to him again. Reluctantly, he turned around to look at the blonde.

"At least let me pay for your room," he offered.

"I'm not staying the night, I'm gonna beat Brian and get the hell outta here," Coby said.

A small frown cast over Brody's mouth. "Brock," he corrected. "And it'd probably be better if you stay a couple days. Trust me, with your lineup, you won't be winning anytime soon."

Coby glared at him. "Why the hell not?"

"Well," he started. "You're Pikachu is basically worthless at this point, and I'm assuming your Charmander only knows scratch and ember, and that won't get you anywhere at the gym."

Curiosity sparked inside him. "How is Yvette worthless?"

"Electric types are weak against ground and rock types. Their moves don't affect them," Brody explained, then added as an afterthought, "Either way, you're screwed 'cause ground moves are super effective against both electric _and _fire types."

Coby frowned. Fuck, he thought, glancing down at the two Pokémon beside him. His gray eyes landed on the tall blonde. "What types are they weak against?"

"Water and grass types," Brody replied. He grinned and pulled out two red and white balls. "And guess who is gonna get the Boulder Badge first."

Coby's hands curled into fists and his jaw clenched. He took a step forward and stood in front of Brody, his face inches away from the grinning boy, and growled in a low voice, "Fuck you." Brody's grin widened and he gripped the back of Coby's head, his fingers tangling themselves in his brunette hair, and pressed his forehead against his. In a soft, husky voice, he breathed, "Anytime."

The tall boy stumbled back several feet, regaining his balance after he was forcefully shoved away from the younger boy. A murderous expression was settled over Coby's face, his eyes set ablaze with a fiery hatred. The fire met his cheeks as the skin turned a deep red, and he quickly spun around on his heel, stomping away angrily. Brody's laughter echoed in Coby's ears and he jogged up beside the fuming boy. He grabbed his shoulder, stopping him, and spun him around. Damien and Yvette stopped as well, watching the pair curiously.

"Hey, easy there, kiddo," Brody chuckled, holding Coby by his shoulders so he couldn't get away. "I'm just playin' around. Jeez, you got a stick up your ass or somethin'?" The glare on Coby's face grew dangerously dark. "Okay, okay, no more of that," Brody complied, holding his hands up. "So will you let me pay for your room? You know, as a sort of apology?"

"Fuck," Coby grumbled under his breath and let his gray eyes fall on the two small Pokémon gazing up at him expectantly. Yvette watched him with patient brown eyes, while Damien on the other hand shifted on his feet impatiently.

Coby wanted desperately to say no, to tell him to go suck one and fuck off, but he knew that he had no other choice but to give in. His shoulders dropped as he let out an aggravated sigh. "Fine," he grumbled defeatedly, keeping his eyes on his shoes to avoid eye contact with the older boy in front of him.

Brody grinned triumphantly and draped an arm around the younger boy's shoulders. Coby elbowed him in the ribs and shoved the boy off of him. "Don't touch me," he growled. Brody, who was gripping his side in pain, smirked at him and replied, "Hey, I'm payin' for your room. You better start puttin' out." He let out a bark of laughter at the sight of Coby's horrified expression.

Annoyed by the blonde's odd behavior, Coby huffed in annoyance and pushed past him. "Just buy me my Goddamn room," he said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. Yvette and Damien jogged to catch up to him, strolling beside their fuming master. From behind him, Coby could hear a soft chuckle come from Brody as he fell into step on his other side, once again draping his arm around his shoulders.

"Nah, that can wait," he said dismissively, steering Coby away from the Poké Center. Before Coby could protest, Brody continued. "We're in Pewter City! Who would we be if we didn't do a little sightseeing while we're here?"

"Normal people," Coby muttered under his breath, although he allowed the mysterious boy to drag him around the 'wondrous' Pewter City without any form of resistance.


End file.
